Software I use, gadgets I love, and other things I recommend.

I get asked a lot about the things I use to build software, stay productive, or buy to fool myself into thinking I’m being productive when I’m really just procrastinating. Here’s a big list of all of my favorite stuff.

Workstation

  • Apple M1 MacBook Air, 8GB RAM (2020 model)

    I was using an old Windows laptop before this monster and the difference is night and day. I’ve never had speed issues with this thing, even under the incredibly heavy loads I’ve put it through. It’s crazy to think that this is just the entry level M-series machine. I can’t imagine how fast the newest MacBook Air model is.

  • Apple Studio Display, Standard glass, Tilt-adjustable stand

    The only display on the market if you want something HiDPI with quality integrated peripherals. When you’re reading hundreds of thousands of tiny characters on a screen everyday, every pixel you can get counts.

  • Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID

    I’ve been using the Magic Keyboard for years and I love it. The only thing I don’t like is that the function keys are a little different from the ones on my MacBook Air. I’m not sure why Apple decided to change them but I’m sure it was for a good reason. I just wish I could remember what that reason was.

  • Apple Magic Trackpad

    Something about all the gestures makes me feel like a wizard with special powers. I really like feeling like a wizard with special powers.

  • Clatina High Swivel Executive Chair, Grey Fabric

    If I’m going to slouch in the worst ergonomic position imaginable all day, I might as well do it in a nice chair. This one is comfortable and matches the rest of my office setup.

Development tools

  • Visual Studio Code

    I don’t care if it’s missing all of the fancy IDE features everyone else relies on, Visual Studio Code is still the best text editor ever made.

  • GitHub Copilot

    Great tool for assisting with code suggestions and improving productivity during development. It won’t code everything for you, thankfully, but it definitely helps eliminate some of the boilerplate code I find myself constantly writing.

  • Postman

    This is a great tool for testing APIs. I use it all the time to test my APIs and make sure they’re working correctly. It’s super easy to use and has a ton of features that makes my backend development less cumbersome.

Design

  • Figma

    I’m not a designer but I do a lot of design work. Figma is the best tool I’ve found for doing that. It’s easy to use and has a ton of features that make it perfect for web design. I can’t imagine working without it and the best part is that it’s completely free.

Productivity

  • Microsoft Teams

    Working with a mostly remote team is hard and Microsoft Teams just makes a lot of the pain points of it easier. The native integration with other Microsoft applications is a nice bonus too.

  • Apple Music

    I used to be a Spotify user but I switched to Apple Music when I got my MacBook Air and all my other Apple devices. I love the sound quality and the user experience is just amazing. It’s just a way better product for me than what Spotify is offering.

  • Apple Reminders

    I’m a big fan of the Reminders app on iOS. It’s simple, easy to use, and it just works. I’ve tried a lot of other to-do list apps but none of them have ever come close to the simplicity and ease of use that Reminders has.

  • Focus Modes, iOS

    Simple tool for blocking distracting apps and notifications when I need to just do the work and get some momentum going.